A new tenant of the Duluth International Airport Authority will be bringing new jobs to the area.

Illinois based AAR, an aviation support company, is preparing to open a new aircraft maintenance facility.

On Tuesday, the company hosted an Aviation Job Fair, in search of skilled and lead mechanics, sheet metal workers, and other avionics professionals.

"Our business is growing. We have a network of maintenance facilities across North America and this will be our fifth repair station," Greg Dellinger, AAR Corp. Director of Recruiting, said.

So how many jobs will be coming?

Dellinger says between 200 and 225 new hires will be made.

With estimated salaries ranging from $30,000 and $80,000, Dellinger and his team plans to have the hires finalized by next summer.

"It's great for the local community because this facility was designed for heavy jet maintenance. And it's great for the local citizens to, first off, be given job opportunities, but number two, this is what it was designed for," Dellinger said.

The company will occupy the former Northwest Airlines repair base.

The facility has sat empty since 2005 when Northwest airlines shut down its jet maintenance facility.

At the time nearly 400 employees were out of work.

"As soon as I heard there was an opportunity, I jumped all over it," Simon Thill, an applicant, said.

AAR Corporation has signed a Letter of Intent with Air Canada.

The agreement will insure regularly scheduled service with the company's 89 Airbus fleet at the Duluth facility for the next five years.

If you missed the AAR Corporation job fair today, you can apply on the AAR Corp. website here: http://employment.aarcorp.com/